The present invention relates in general to latching mechanisms which are designed to securely connect or attach one object to another object, such as a boat to a boat trailer. More specifically the present invention relates to an automatic latching mechanism which is attached to a boat trailer and which receives and securely holds the U-bolt which is fixed to the bow of a boat.
Boat trailers for transporting, launching, and retrieving fishing boats and pleasure boats are widely used by the boating public. While a variety of different winch and tow rope arrangements have been and may be employed, one commonly used element of such arrangements is a U-bolt or eyelet of some configuration which is fixed to the bow of the boat, typically on the centerline of the boat. Since the bow U-bolt is typically located in a similar position, independent of the particular boat style, it provides one aspect of some consistency between varying designs, styles, sizes, and makes of boats.
A review of earlier patents indicates that one disadvantage, as viewed by other designers, with a winch and tow rope arrangement is that at least two people are required to effectively retrieve and load the boat onto the trailer. One person is normally needed to connect the tow line to the boat and operate the winch. The other person is required to navigate and maintain the boat in alignment with the boat trailer. Since there are situations where two people are not always available to load a boat onto a boat trailer, it has been suggested that it would be an improvement to existing trailer designs with a winch and tow rope arrangement if an automatic latching mechanism could be provided which securely attaches to the U-bolt of the boat bow. While an automatic latching mechanism on the boat trailer would conceivably only require one individual to load the boat onto the boat trailer, as a practical matter you would prefer to have one individual handling the boat and a second individual handling the boat trailer and the vehicle towing the boat trailer. This is the most efficient approach. However, even with two individuals and even if a winch and tow rope arrangement is available, there is still a certain awkwardness to the currently practiced method. While one individual stays with the trailer and tow vehicle, the individual directing the boat onto the trailer may be required to lean forward over the bow and hook the winch rope into the U-bolt. It would thus be an improvement to this procedure if an automatic latching mechanism could be provided.
Over the years certain designers have tried to provide improvements to the winch and tow rope arrangements, even suggesting elimination of those arrangements. One such earlier design effort involves the use of a latching mechanism with a locking pin. This type of design is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,267 which issued Nov. 2, 1976 to Robinson. In order to perform its intended function, the pin 27 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,267 must be initially pulled out, set in a cocked position, and biased by spring 33 against the edge of trigger plate 30. The associated spring compression and preload is a disadvantage in that this arrangement results in greater wear and a greater risk that the cocked arrangement will be jarred loose and released prior to connecting to the U-bolt. If the cocked arrangement is jarred loose and released, it would not be properly conditioned to receive and thereafter securely hold the U-bolt. Another concern with this design is the constant load on pin 27 when it is inserted through the U-bolt due to the weight of the boat.
While the ""267 patent represents one trailer latch mechanism which does not involve a winch and tow rope arrangement, other similar design arrangements are represented by the following patents:
In evaluating the efficiency, reliability, cost and suitability of these other designs, it is important to keep in mind that reliability is of primary importance. The preferred latching mechanism is one which is normally unloaded and not in a highly spring-biased condition, one which operates in an automatic manner and is virtually fool-proof, one which is suitable for a wide range of boat shapes and sizes, and one which will securely anchor the boat to the trailer regardless of external conditions such as the angle of the trailer, size and weight of the boat, and the speed at which the boat ramps up onto the boat trailer. It is also preferred that the latching mechanism be designed such that it is extremely strong and any wear loading is minimal. Many of these desirable design features were incorporated into the earlier invention of Hyslop, now disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,166 which issued Mar. 2, 1999. This earlier patent is expressly incorporated by reference herein for its entire disclosure.
Since the completion of the invention of the 5,876,166 patent and after working with the commercial embodiment of the claimed invention of the ""166 patent, various improvements were conceived of by the sole inventor. These various improvements are described, illustrated and claimed herein. Included is an improved design in the bolt mounting arrangement, using separate bolts in lieu of one through-bolt. Significant changes have also been made in the shape of the jaws and the shape of the (release) slide member. One very important change was to the direction the jaws rotate when releasing the captured U-bolt. The jaws now rotate away from the U-bolt. The jaws rotated toward the captured U-bolt in the prior invention. The jaws could not be opened if the boat moved back on the trailer and the U-bolt applied pressure against the jaws. Some of the finer points of the mechanism operation have been improved for a more reliable device and one with added safety features. These improvements provide design versatility and contribute to the simplicity of use of the overall design. As such, these improvements are considered to be novel and unobvious.
A latching mechanism constructed and arranged to be attached to a boat trailer and to securely receive a boat bow connection member so as to facilitate keeping the boat on the boat trailer according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a frame member defining a receiving channel for receipt of the connection member, the receiving channel including an entrance, a pair of spring-biased latching members which are pivotally attached to the frame member, the spring-biased latching members being constructed and arranged to be normally oriented in a closed condition wherein the spring-biased latching members cooperate to narrow the width of the receiving channel at a location adjacent the entrance, a release slide attached to the frame member and being moveable from a first position wherein the latching mechanism is in a load-launch orientation to a second position wherein the latching mechanism is in a stowed orientation, wherein in the load-launch orientation the spring-biased latching members are pivotally moveable to an open condition by the action of pushing the connection member into abutment against the spring-biased latching members until the connection members enters (or leaves) the receiving channel.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved latching mechanism for securing a boat bow to a boat trailer.
Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.